1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary damper enabling generation of a large torque and which is suitable for damping the opening movement of a lid such as of a vehicle glove compartment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rotary dampers are widely used for damping the movement of pusher mechanisms etc. to provide a pleasing impression during use. Prior art rotary dampers have highly viscous silicone oil contained in the space between a housing and a disk-like rotor and are constructed such that during the rotation of the rotor a shearing force is generated in the silicone oil as a torque generating source, thereby producing a damping force. Since the prior art rotary dampers are bulky, in spite of generating only a small torque, they cannot be used in applications requiring a large torque and thus have limited utility. In addition, use of highly viscous silicone oil makes the rotary damper assembly troublesome.
The main object of the present invention is to provide a rotary damper that is capable of generating a large torque forits small size and is easy to assemble.